Hop bleaching and drying kiln.



Patanted Aug. 7, |900.

J. & A. B. C. DOWDELL. HOP BLEAGHING AND DBYING KILN.

(Application led Oct. 26, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

1n: nofws PETER: co, vuoromwo., wAsmuTcN. n. c.

Nrrnn STATES PATENT @Finca JAMES DOVDELL AND ARTHUR B. C. DOIVDELL, OF ST. HELENA,

CALIFORNIA. I

HOP BLEACHING AND DRYING KILN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 655,330, dated August 7, 1900.

Application filed October 26,1899. Serial No. 734,793. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that We, JAMES DoWDELL and ARTHUR B. C. DowDELL, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Helena, county of Napa, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Hop Bleaching and Drying Kilns; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

O ur invention relates to a means for bleaching and drying hops or other material.

It consists, essentially, of a room or compartment having a foraminous floor adapted to support the hops to be dried and in conjunction therewith a covering which may be drawn over the surface of the hops to confine and prevent heat and moisture from escaping therefrom during the process of bleaching. The sulfur fumes produced in any usual or suitable manner are caused to rise into the hops and are there retained until the bleaching is perfected, after which the covering may be removed, and heat being applied the drying will be completed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the figure is a vertical section through the kiln.

In the accompanying drawing we have illustrated our invention as applied to a room or kiln A B, of the usual construction, having a furnace C at the bottom for heating and drying'purposes. The hops are spread upon a perforated or screen floor D, Where they are piled to a depth of about two feet, more orl less, and in drying the heat of the furnace, rising, passes through the hops and is discharged through an adjustable gate or damper, (shown at E.) Previous to this drying it is desirable to bleach the hops to give them a good color and make them more marketable than in their ordinary condition, and for this purpose sulfur is burned in the lower part A `of the compartment and allowed to rise through the hops. In the ordinary methods of bleaching the porous character of the mass 'of hops allows the sulfur fumes to pass freely through and rapidly escape. It is consequently necessary to use a great deal of sulfur before the bleaching has been completed. In our invention We employ a cover F, which is adapted to be closed over the hops after they have been spread upon the drying-door', so as to prevent the sulfur fumes and any moisture that may be in the hops from escapin g rapidly from above. This cover may consist of sectional hinged or otherwise folding sections which can belet down after the hops have been spread upon the door and form an essentially close cover, or it may be made of fibrous or flexible material like cloth or canvas, and this can be spread over the surface of the hops to form the covering. If made in this manner, the flexible covering may be rolled upon a roller I at one side of the floor at a suitable'height, and when it is to be extended it can be drawn over the body of hops by means of cords passing over pulleys J at the opposite side and to counterweights K, which will draw upon the cords and move the covering over the body of hops on the Hoor. This covering being in place, the sulfur is burned in pans, as at H, upon the furnace or the fumes introduced in other convenient manner,and, rising-,the fumes will pass into the mass of hops on the dryingiioor and will remain therein as long asthe covering is in place. This insures the full action of the sulfur fumes and prevents the moisture being driven above the hops during the process of sulfuring. This is important, because unless the hops are moist the sulfur fumes Will not have the proper bleaching effect upon them. In case the hops are not sufficiently moist for the proper action of the sulfur fumes steam may be introduced from a suitable boiler or Water may be vaporized by use of the furnace C and allowed to rise into the mass of hops, being prevented from passing through it by the cover before described. The sulfurY fumes being introduced at the same time will act rapidly and soon bleach the hops as much as may be desired. When the bleaching has been completed, the covering is removed by Xing a crank L upon the shaft of the roller I and turning it to withdraw the cover, andthe door E being opened the furnace heat applied will rapidly rise through the body of hops and dry them, so that they are in condition for the market.

The holding of the fumes and moisturev closely Within the body of the hops while the bleaching is taken place greatly increases the eectiveness of the action by reason of the confinement of the fumes and the moisture, none of which is allowed to escape until -the bleaching is complete.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An apparatus for bleaching and drying hops and the like, including a chamber having a horizontal foraminous oor fixed between the top and bottom, a heater and means for producingv sulfurous Vfumes within the lower part of the chamber, a cover and a roller upon which it is normally wound, and means connected with the free end of the cover and adapted to automatically extend said cover over and contiguous to the upper surface of the material to be treated, whereby moisture and sulfurous fumes are retained therein,

said cover being withdrawn and wound upon the roller after the sulfur treatment is completed whereby hot air is permitted to rapidly pass through said material.

2. An apparatus for bleaching and drying hops and the like consisting of a chamber having a horizontal foraniinous floor between the top and bottom, a heater and means for introducing sulfurous vapors in the lower part of said chamber, a flexible covering, a roller Vupon which said covering is wound, a pulley and a cord connected with the free edge of the covering and passing over said pulley and provided with a counterweight whereby the covering may be operated from outside the drying-chamber and may be extended above and contiguous to the upper surface of the material on the floor, to retain moisture and sulfur fumes in contact therewith, said roller serving to withdraw andA roll up the covering whereby the hot air is allowed to pass freely through the material, and a doorcontrolled escape-opening therefor in the, upper part of the chamber.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

JAMES DOVDELL. ARTHUR B. C. DOWDELL.

X'Vitnesses:

J. G. JOHNSON, A. M. JOHNSON. 

